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Post by Vespyr on Feb 10, 2013 21:47:45 GMT -8
When the sun hits
"hey Saul," Ari called out, rapping his knuckles lightly on the front door of his friend's apartment. "you free to hang out? there's something i want to show you."
Ari whirled about with a little flair of his black hair, and casually leaned against the sunlit stucco beside the doorway, letting the warmth creep pleasantly into his small back. He pushed the frame of his sunglasses further up the narrow bridge of his nose to hide his blue-grey eyes behind the somewhat retro-looking circular lenses. The teen calmly gazed at the bluish shaded side of some nearby buildings, feeling oddly complacent and optimistic about everything in his life at that particular moment. It's kind of a really nice day, he thought, as he felt the sun warming each individual strand of his raven-black hair, and every inch of soft skin along his exposed arms, and something deeper within.
About a week ago Cain had come home, startling everyone with his miraculous recovery. Ari had run away from the apartment in distress though he felt he should have been relieved, but he found himself in good company and better spirits when he wandered into Crow territory and met a young man by the name of Lucien. The young man told Ari a bit about Crows and even took him to one of their nightspots, which set Ari on a path of doubt about his current lifestyle. Despite the opportunity to join Crows, Ari had still gone back home to Rogue territory the next day after stopping by his once-home to gather some of his old belongings. Seeing the long-decayed corpses of his family, killed almost a year ago in the bombings, had the troubled teen's unhealed wounds aching bitterly. Cain found him later, sitting in the apartment next door, in a heap of CDs and tears. When Ari mentioned seeing his dead family again, Cain somewhat solemnly told the boy about the death of his own mother. The two found themselves in a rare sort of situation: they talked, somehow able to hold a real conversation for just a little while. Cain rummaged through Ari's CD collection while they rambled about their tastes in music, about how awesome Cain's mom was for liking black metal, and about how Huntington Beach (where Cain grew up) was full of skinheads but Cain wasn't one despite the red laces he wore in his combat boots; he wore them for his own sense of pride, and he thought Nazis were all dumbasses, and he prided himself in not making up bullshit excuses for his terrible actions. Ari learned something about the man that day, and about himself as well, and realized a few things about why he stuck around so long: there was a small but definite admiration for Cain as a person despite his terrible actions and the wrongs he'd done to Ari in the past. It was all kind of dumb and Ari was kind of a sucker, but having a conversation with the man as if they were perfectly normal, civil people had only gone to prove that Cain wasn't a monster… not completely, at least. There was hope after all. Ari clung to that because he didn't have much else.
It was enough, though. Right now, especially, anything would have been enough to keep the boy hopeful. The sun warming his skin and the lightly changing breeze were proof that the world hadn't ended. |
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Saul Kelly
Adept
[M:150]
I never wanted this[A1i:3]
Posts: 148
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Post by Saul Kelly on Feb 11, 2013 14:36:41 GMT -8
Saul sat on the couch in his boxers, still having refused to get dressed and face the day, and he glared. Not at any person, or animal, or entity. But at the television that sat smugly on the stand ten feet in front of him. If it had a mouth, the man was sure it would wear a shit-eating grin any time it spied him. A long-lasting feud with an appliance is not an easy one to participate in, and it wore on him. The time was coming soon though, and Saul was positive he would come out the victor.
A knock at the door and a small voice broke him out of the staring contest, and the man rose to his feet to let Ari into the apartment. Towering over the kid, Saul shot a sharp-toothed but unmenacing grin to Ari. "Yeah, yeah, come in. I gotta probably get drethed though. Take a theat, I'll be out in a minute" he called out over his shoulder as he walked into his bedroom, and shut the door, leaving Ari to entertain himself for a few minutes while he pulled on a pair of faded blue jeans and an unreasonably red-stained white T-shirt. The boy made note that he really needed to do laundry soon.
Reemerging from his room, Saul padded out to the living room to re-greet the small boy and would reach a fist out for a knuckletouch that he refused to believe was too hip for him.
"Where to?" he asked, propping his sunglasses on top of his head, just in case he needed them.
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Post by Vespyr on Feb 11, 2013 14:59:54 GMT -8
The sound of the opening door caught Ari's attention again and the teen turned away from the sun to slip inside Saul's apartment. He took his sunglasses off and padded over to the sofa, plopping down onto it with a comfortable little huff. It was nice and warm outside, but the surface of the couch was pleasantly cool, and he let it envelop him for a few minutes as he patiently waited for Saul to get dressed.
The door opened again and Ari popped up, reaching out to greet Saul's fist with an open palm, then closing his own fist so the other could do the same, a sort of routine handshake by now.
"Crrrow territory," the boy grinned, raising his brow. "this is gonna blow your mind."
Ari padded back over to the doorway and tipped the retro sunglasses back onto his face before stepping back into the welcoming sun. He trotted down the two flights of stairs to the sidewalk where his small black bike was patiently waiting and paused for Saul to catch up with him. On the bike he perched, and he'd pedal along at a slow pace by Saul's side to keep up with the tall man as per usual whenever the pair ventured very far from the territory.
And venture off they would, making their way downtown, to the very streetcorner where Ari had last seen the young man named Lucien.
"remember, there is no Rogues. we're just friends who live in the same area, but don't say where." the teen would remind Saul, in a quiet, secretive voice. |
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Post by Lucien DeChain on Feb 11, 2013 15:37:19 GMT -8
{OOC: Love the music. Very fitting.}
Ah, the border in the sun.
Of course, for Lucien, it was enjoyable, but there would be no sunbathing for the skinny man. No, in fact, without the SPF 100 sunscreen he had managed to salvage from a collapsed pharmacy (It was a wonder that everything was raided except the sunscreen and the wart remedies!), the beating sun would have been more foe than friend to the boy.
As it was, Lucien was where he usually was around mid-day, doing what he usually did around mid-day. Around the border, running at full speed and practicing the overwhelmingly large amount of parkour he had learned from Marcus and the Wolfpack.
He didn't know why, but this specific border had become a staple of Lucien's life, almost like a permanent fixture in his memory. Was it the concept of something ending and something beginning? Or maybe that he knew there was no separation, only the boundaries that people place on themselves.
Neutral Long Beach? Crow Territory? Dragon Territory? Barker Territory? Isn't it all the same earth?
As Lucien dived over a pile of rubble off the side of a street, he spotted two figures. Straightening up, he saw that it was, indeed, the latest addition to his personal watch-list. Ari...
He started jogging over to meet them, not even bothering to cloak. The sun would be his foe for that much, anyways.
Once he was close enough to notice, and within ear-shot, he would call out to the duo.
"Hey, fancy seeing you again."
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Saul Kelly
Adept
[M:150]
I never wanted this[A1i:3]
Posts: 148
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Post by Saul Kelly on Feb 11, 2013 18:09:11 GMT -8
The boy's brow raised at the discovery of their destination. His face lighting up, Saul excitedly made for the door, chattering happily as he asked "Like the birdth? We're gonna go play with birdth? Hell heck yeth!" Far too excited, the man spent the trek to the territory certain that they were headed to a tract of land controlled by birds and birds alone. Happy in this fantasy, he imagined the kind of tactics the avian friends could have possibly used on Barker forces to claim the territory. They did have aerial advantage.
Strolling alongside his companion, the man forgot about birds and their tactical advantages and just enjoyed the sunlight on his pale skin, even if it meant a slight burn later on. The bike Ari rode on next to him helped them stay at the same pace, but the long legged boy still found himself having to slow his gait for the other, even if only a little.
As the boys approached the territory's border and a thin man began moving towards them, Saul became nervous. Not a bird. No, no. For the first time since he left with Ari he considered that perhaps they weren't entirely safe. The smaller boy's voice reassured him, though, and reminded him that no one could know who they were.
What Rogues? Nodding back to Asthma, Saul eyed Lucien with a bit of caution, but made sure that his body posture was not giving off rude vibes. After all, they were the ones out of their element.
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Post by Vespyr on Feb 11, 2013 18:47:33 GMT -8
Ari pedalled a little faster, cruising ahead of his companion a little ways. He stopped in about a dozen yards and lowered his foot to the asphalt, allowing a few moments for Saul to catch up and for Lucien to jog over. The teen grinned a little shyly, having only met the young man once before.
"hey, Lucien. now's not a bad time, is it?" the young man called out, not wanting to impede on the man if he was busy. He did have responsibilities, after all; something Ari and Saul couldn't quite relate to..
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Post by Lucien DeChain on Feb 13, 2013 13:16:22 GMT -8
{OOC: Sorry about the quality, you wouldn't believe how many errands you have to run when you're unemployed and homeless.  } Lucien watched as the bike slowed down, and as he approached Ari, he smiled. Looking to the other man as he caught up, he gave a quick nod, making sure there was no threat there. Turning back to Ari, he gave a quick thought. "No, I don't have to report back for a while. What brings you to Crow territory?"Looking back, he realized he might have been a slight bit rude for ignoring the other man. Sheepishly, he extended his hand towards the other man, looking him right in the eye and saying, "Lucien DeChain, Crow. Nice to meet you." |
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Saul Kelly
Adept
[M:150]
I never wanted this[A1i:3]
Posts: 148
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Post by Saul Kelly on Feb 14, 2013 10:55:34 GMT -8
Saul nodded back to the boy before extending his own hand to shake Lucien's. "Thaul Kelly." With a more careful inspection the man determined that the other was not a bird at all, not even close. Thinking hard, he wondered if being a Crow was some sign of superiority or unity. Maybe Crows were some kind of gang in the area or something. Asking was clearly the only way of finding out.
"What'th a Crow?"
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Post by Vespyr on Feb 14, 2013 14:53:43 GMT -8
Ari shrugged a little, casually. The encounter of last week had been on his mind, not because he regretted turning down Lucien's offer, but because he still had yet to satisfy his curiosity about this 'new world' even just from an outsider's standpoint. And, he felt inclined to show his gratitude somehow. Unfortunately he didn't have much to offer except for his company. In this day and age, friendship and alliances weren't just basic commodity.
"thought i'd come say hi and thanks again for showing me around the other day, it was really cool," he said as Lucien and Saul shook hands. At Saul's question, Ari grinned knowingly.
"see, we don't get out much… i thought maybe it would be cool to show Saul that one place you showed me."
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Post by Lucien DeChain on Feb 16, 2013 21:42:18 GMT -8
The man had a lisp.
Saul Kelly had a LISP.
Lucien struggled in vain to keep his face untwisted after hearing the taller man speak. As he shook the man's hand, his lip twisted upwards, and his left eye twitched uncontrollably. Despite all this, he kept his stare, and answered the man's question with relative ease. Relative, mind you, to a full-on conniption fit.
"A Crow, well, you see... Is... A.... That is to say, well. The Crows are a gang and I'm in the gang so I'm a Crow." He rambled out. Taking a deep breath in, he turned to Ari, feeling somewhat refreshed from his recent brain attack.
"And, sure, I think that sounds reasonable. Come, follow me."
He would then start to lead the way, a few streets over and one street up, to a little pub, which was, miraculously, the only thing still standing on the block. As they walked in the door, Lucien would, once again, nod towards the barkeep. The barkeep would, as before, nod back and lead them to the back room which was reserved for... Private Parties.
The room was quiet, but the bustle of the bar was still creating a background din, that went along with the dimmed lighting and the thick atmosphere to create quite the ambiance. Along with, you know, the fact that it was an old-world bar that was still an old-world bar.
Sitting down on the soft red seat, Lucien shuffled over to accommodate his guests. Glancing from one to the other to look for the sure signs of wonder in their faces (At least, in Saul's), he would smile and nod at them to make themselves at home.
Mi casa, su casa, right?
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Saul Kelly
Adept
[M:150]
I never wanted this[A1i:3]
Posts: 148
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Post by Saul Kelly on Feb 18, 2013 22:12:21 GMT -8
Saul's face contorted in annoyance and confusion at the expression Lucien shot to the man, and his obvious difficulty speaking to him. Running a list of possibly culprits for this behavior through his head, the man settled on his appearance. As Lucien turned to lead them onward, Saul glanced to Ari in a huff with a self-conscious frown. It was like the new man had never seen a six-foot-something guy with a mouth full of animal teeth, pointed ears, and claw-like nails. Clearly, his gawking was out of line but Saul forgave him and got over it, trailing behind Lucien with curiosity he tried to mask about this new place they were headed.
The man's eyes were wide with awe as he glanced around the bar, amazed that civilization was still alive and well, at least in pub form, and people were going on with their lives. And not eating people. A they made their way to the back room Saul's face likely resembled the overwhelmed but excited expression of a five-year-old's first trip to Disneyland. Sitting along with his companions, large hands slid over the surface of the table, trying to confirm the authenticity of the room and his presence in it.
"How....come?"
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Post by Vespyr on Feb 18, 2013 22:37:18 GMT -8
Ari smiled sympathetically when Saul turned to him, and reached up to give the big guy a pat on the shoulder. He clacked his teeth fiercely, encouraging. So cool, bro.
He walked alongside his bike as Lucien led them back to the bar, and left it parked near the door when they entered. Although he'd been anticipating it, Ari still felt the same tingle of awe upon entering the pub a second time. Maybe it was the delight of sharing it with somebody who'd be just as fascinated.
The teen slid himself onto the booth seat between Lucien and Saul, a sort of unspoken liaison between the urbane Crow boy and the more uncivilized Rogues, himself and his monstrous pal definitely a bit out of place in this recreation of society. But that didn't mean they couldn't appreciate what, by their standards, was an absolute luxury.
"so umm…" Ari began, not really knowing how to start a proper conversation. He glanced over at Saul with a sort of nervous grin as the man mumbled in awe.
"what other kinds of places are around here? i was wondering if there are any old music stores or anything, stuff like that. abandoned ones, probably." he asked Lucien. |
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Post by Lucien DeChain on Feb 18, 2013 22:45:10 GMT -8
Lucien kept a straight face, save for the occasional grin at the two boys at the awestruck nature of their faces. And, he actually thought the teeth were super cool. He would never admit it, though.
In response to Ari's nervous question/conversation starter, Lucien pondered. "Well, there is a few around here. Abandoned and raided, obviously." It made Lucien chuckle how human nature worked sometimes. Oh, no, the world is ending and there's bombs landing, I better stock up on my favorite music!
"But, you might be able to find a bit of jazz, or black metal, or such things that have smaller target audiences..." He said, with hope in his voice. If it could offer them something to show for their journey, he would give them all the hope in the world.
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Saul Kelly
Adept
[M:150]
I never wanted this[A1i:3]
Posts: 148
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Post by Saul Kelly on Mar 4, 2013 18:39:00 GMT -8
Taking a moment to think on it, the man realized he couldn't really even name one band he had liked, or even a musician. The radio had been fun enough to listen to, but he didn't partake in that regularly. Still, Ari seemed interested in the idea of visiting the music store, so Saul nodded along in feigned interest, pretending that oh yeah, i love that band. i have lithtened to tho many of their thongth.
"Ooh, yeah or like a- or like a-" What was the boy even interested in? Medical books but those were likely taken by survivors soon after the end came. "...toooy thtore?" Really? That was all the game he had on the adventure level? Oh man, gonna loot the shit out of Toys-R-Us.
Blushing Saul's mouth snapped shut, convinced he was being an idiot before he blurted wide-eyed "YETH. MUTHIC THTORE. GOOD IDEA ARI." in an effort to pretend his suggestion did not occur.
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Post by Vespyr on Mar 5, 2013 13:02:52 GMT -8
Ari seemed slightly excited to hear that. His brow raised a little at the mention of black metal, almost hopeful. There was one specific thing he was looking for, though, and that wasn't it. A quietly eager grin crept from the corners of his mouth… and he stifled a little bit of giggling at Saul's interjection. His blue-grey eyes panned over to the other boy in a sort of reassuring way, though. That's alright, bud.
"well that's awesome… maybe we could go there or something, when we're done here," he suggested, turning his gaze back to Lucien with a hopeful look. "i'm on a quest for this one CD but no stores around where we live had it." |
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